The Baboon Spider (Pterinochilus murinus), an old-world tarantula, was initially described in 1897 by Reginald Innes Pocock. This species is found on the African continent, in Angola, as well as central, eastern, and southern Africa.
Among those who keep tarantulas as pets, Pterinochilus murinus is known as “OBT”, which means Orange Baboon Tarantula or Orange Bitey Thing, and also as the...

The Skeleton Tarantula (Ephebopus murinus) is a species of spider belonging to the Theraphosidae family, a sub-family of Aviculariinae. This New World species is native to several South American countries. Its common name comes from the skeleton-like markings on its legs. The generic name, Ephebopus comes from the Greek meaning “youthful” plus “foot”, and the specific name, murinus is...

Phylliidae is a family of insects most commonly known as leaf insects or walking leaves, which can be found in Southeast Asia and South Asia to Australia. Although it is classified as a family, there is no general agreement on its classification, as many suggest that the family is actually a large taxon that should contain separate families of leaf insects. It is thought that this family has...

Theridiidae is a family that contains over 2,200 species of cobweb spiders, also known as tangle-web spiders or comb-footed spiders, which can be found throughout the world. This species received its common names from its tendency to build three dimensional, sticky webs and from the comb of serrated bristles on the fourth leg. It is thought that this family is the only to hold a high diversity...

Agelenidae is a family that holds about 1,200 recognized species of funnel weaver spiders that occur throughout the world. These spiders build funnel shaped webs that trap prey in their complicated patterns, but they should not be confused with other families of spiders that build funnel webs like funnel-web spiders or funnel-web tarantulas.
Funnel weavers can reach an average body length...

Sparassidae is a family that holds over one thousand species of huntsman spiders, also known as giant crab spiders and wood spiders, or as rain spiders or lizard-eating spiders in some areas of its range. These species are native to Australia but were also introduced to temperate areas throughout the world including China, Japan, and some areas of the United States, including Florida and...

Thomisidae is a family that holds around two thousand species of crab spiders that can be found throughout the world. Although the name crab spider has been used to refer to a large number of species, it is most often used to refer to members of this family, especially the flower crab spider. Many members of this family have flat bodies that resemble those of crabs and others hold their two...

Salticidae is a family that holds over five thousand species of jumping spiders that can be found throughout the world, including areas with heavy snowfall. Most species prefer to reside in tropical forests, but these spiders can also be found in temperate forests, deserts, and mountainous regions, among other habitats. Although the taxonomic structure of this family is well established, the...

Scientific name: Streptocephalus woottoni
Common Names: Riverside Fairy Shrimp
Status: Listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List on August 1, 1996
Geography: Mexico, United States
Conservation Information: This species is found only in five locations in southern California and two location in northern Baja California. Some known population occurrences have been extirpated. It is...

Scientific name: Branchinecta conservatio
Common Names: Conservancy Fairy Shrimp
Status: Listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List on August 1, 1996
Geography: Native to the United States (Southern California)
Conservation Information: The historical distribution of this species is unknown. However, places where the species is now known to occur (vernal pools in southern California)...

A pivoted catch designed to fall into a notch on a ratchet wheel so as to allow movement in only one direction (e.g. on a windlass or in a clock mechanism), or alternatively to move the wheel in one direction.